at a glance - saskatchewan teachers' federation · 2019-08-30 · saskatchewan teachers’...

At a Glance

2018-19

Listen. Learn. Lead. INTRODUCTION Listen. Learn. Lead.

Teaching and Learning

2 A Learning Community

3 Leading to Learn

3 Following Their Voices

4 Engaging Communities in Teacher-Led Research

4 Dreaming Bigger in North Battleford

5 Parent Voices in Regina

5 Legacy for Learning Society

Public, Member and Stakeholder Relations

6 Re-Imagining Education

7 Tell Him Tuesday

8 Teachers Supporting Communities • Students Care About Public Education • Nutrien Children’s Festival • World Teachers’ Day and

Education Week

9 Are You in the Loop?

10 Transforming People and Systems Through Research

Teacher Success

11 A Welcoming Space for Members

13 Renovations to the Federation’s Head Office

14 Muskrats and Fire Children’s Book Published

14 Arbos Award Winners

16 Special Project Grants Awarded

17 International Opportunities

Teacher Well-Being

18 Investing for the Future

19 Your Health Benefits

19 Changes to the STRP Pension Plan

19 Teachers' Long-Term Disability Plan

19 Portaplan Protection for You and Your Family

19 Enhanced Mental Health Support

Governance

20 Advocacy and Stewardship

20 Collective Bargaining

21 Arbitration Wins From the Last Round • Teacher Time

• Salary • SPTRB Fees • Expanded Grievance Powers

22 Teacher Professionalism • Supporting the Principalship • Social Justice, Inclusion and Equity • Pre-Service and First Five Years

Programming • Feedback to Ministry of Education • Teacher Participation in Education

Sector Work • Professional Growth Networks

23 Council Highlights • Annual Meeting of Council

(May 1-4, 2019) • Councillor Conference

(October 25-27, 2018) • Bylaw 3 Changes

24 A Phone Call Away

CONCLUSION

1Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation 2018-19 AT A GLANCE

At the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, we also believe in harnessing the power of partnerships. This year staff travelled the province engaging with Saskatchewan residents and testing assumptions about the current state of public education. We wanted to listen and learn about what others think is working well and where there’s room for significant improvement. What we learned is that success looks differently, depending on who’s defining it.

Government and policy-makers frequently get hung up on process measures like test scores, graduation rates and cost savings, often at the expense of students and teachers. Data is important but it should not be the only measure of success. Standardized testing can sometimes lead to inequality. For example, how does standardized testing help a child with autism who scores in the bottom percentile when compared to peers who don’t have this unique challenge? What does success look like for that family when the resources they need aren’t readily available due to budget cuts?

Re-Imagine Education brought to light a host of concerns like these. These issues reveal the danger of reducing students into data points and spreadsheets.

From teachers, we heard about rising enrolments, ballooning class sizes and workload intensification – all while funding levels continue to decline. Others were concerned about the erosion of vital classroom supports, like cuts to educational assistants and speech language pathologists, in addition to crucial programming that supports Indigenous students and newcomers.

From students and families, we heard a lot of appreciation for the work individual schools are doing. But what’s keeping them up at night are the bigger-picture issues impacting the learning environment, like timely access to mental health support. Many of these issues are not new, but governments of the day continue to employ the same austerity do-more-with-less measures, while demanding better results from teachers. What we need are new, innovative approaches to the problems.

That’s what Re-Imagine Education is about – inviting others into the conversation so that we can create a public education system that works for everyone and that we can all be proud of. To truly transform public education, teachers need community support backed by action.

Listen. Learn. Lead. IntroductionIf we’ve learned anything from the Re-Imagine Education initiative this past year, it’s that public education works best when it’s supported by strong educational and community partners – people who care just as much about public education and student success as Saskatchewan teachers do.

2 Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation 2018-19 AT A GLANCE

Teaching andLearningA Learning Community Do you know what the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s secret to success is? It’s you – all of the teachers and educational partners who are passionate about continuous learning and professional development. The SPDU is here to help teachers learn and grow so that you can feel confident in your roles. We help our members build learning communities to spread best practices throughout the province. Creating consistency around teacher professional development and learning outcomes strengthens our collective ability to influence change within the public education system. We’ve got a number of exciting educational partnerships taking root throughout the province.


Leading to Learn In support of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015) and to positively impact the lives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, we’ve been collaborating with many partners to develop professional learning opportunities for in-school administrators. The partnership includes Elders and representatives from the Ministry of Education, First Nations educational authorities, school divisions, the SPDU and the Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit. A group of six in-school administrators co-constructed the Leading to Learn journey, with guidance from members of the educational stakeholder organizations. Together, they worked to put students first.

The in-school administrator’s cohort met 10 times to learn more about Indigenous cultures and perspectives and to create an experiential learning journey. Resource materials were developed and the group received 10 days of facilitation training. As a result of their participation, in-school administrators have reported a shift in their thinking and understanding of anti-oppressive, anti-racist pedagogy.

This concludes Phase I of implementation. Phase II will see the process beginning again with administrators from different school divisions. Special thanks to Elder Sylvia Weenie and initiative lead Ken Okanee, superintendent of education for the Saskatoon Public School Division, for their continued leadership throughout this journey.

Following Their VoicesFollowing Their Voices aims to raise the educational achievements and participation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students by:

• Enhancing relationships between students and teachers,

• Developing supports for teachers and school administrators to co-construct teaching and learning interactions with their students, and

• Creating safe, well-managed learning environments.

Research was conducted with First Nations and Métis students, parents and caregivers, teachers and school administrators to explore what Indigenous students need to feel supported and successful. The words and insights shared, along with international research, guidance and advice from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, formed the foundation of this initiative.

SPDU supports four distinct groups within the FTV contract:

1. Provincial facilitators on secondment to the Ministry of Education,

2. Seekers, a group of FTV school-based facilitators, who receive training and mentorship from the FTV provincial facilitators and SPDU core team,

3. School-based Strategic Change Leadership Teams in Year One and Year Two, and

4. School-based Strategic Change Leadership Teams in Year Three.

SPDU’s most popular professional development topics are as follows:

• Early learning

• Literacy writing workshops

• Supporting English as an Additional Language students

• General instruction – differentiation, growth mindset, classroom management

• Structures for differentiating elementary and middle years math

Number of professional development events hosted annually:

42 provincial workshops

1 conference

8 accreditation seminars

113 contracted workshops


Engaging Communities in Teacher-Led ResearchThe Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research Into Teaching provides grants to support teacher-led research in the province. The Foundation is funded in multiple ways including a $2-million endowment, an annual grant from the Federation, and ongoing charitable donations from local associations, superannuated teachers and the general public. The McDowell Foundation is honoured to support teachers with great ideas, big hearts and a strong desire to make life better for their students and colleagues. Like any good spark of innovation, learning must be fanned and shared in order for it to grow and spread. That’s why McDowell Foundation researchers work hard to share their work with the wider community. Thank you for your continued support, whether that be as a researcher, a participant in our community conversations, a member of the McDowell Board or a donor.

Dreaming Bigger in North BattlefordOn November 21, 2018, John Paul II Collegiate researchers in North Battleford shared their Dreaming Bigger: Personalizing Pace, Place & Time research that explored how technology and flexible learning can improve graduation rates. Lead researcher Ramona Stillar, a panel of teachers and a former student shared their experiences, including supports needed to successfully implement pace, place and time learning within Saskatchewan schools.

Winners of the 2018-19 McDowell Foundation Research Award:

Off the Grid: Students Leading Positive, Sustainable Environmental Change (Michael Prebble, Dr. Dianne Miller, Jana Decorby and Jocelyn Dupuis)

How Do Teachers in Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Use Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato si’ (Care for Our Common Home) to Improve Social and Environmental Education? (Mel Sysing and Dustin Kasun)

Former John Paul II Collegiate student Ashaun Pusey (second from right) credits his graduation success to technology, flexible learning and support from principal Carlo Hansen (far left) and teachers Lindell Gateley and Jean Fauchon (right).


Parent Voices in ReginaFor parents of school-aged children with exceptionalities, their child’s day-to-day school experience can be quite different than what is typically pictured. On May 15, 2019, educator and lead researcher Krista McMillen hosted a roundtable discussion at Arcola Community School to share her research Parent/Guardian Voices: Experiences and Perspectives of Parents of Children With Exceptionalities. She was joined by Alaina Harrison from Inclusion Saskatchewan, Trishia Hastings of the Federation and parents who shared their experiences and examples of what’s working well for their children.

Legacy for Learning SocietyTo honour donors to its planned giving program, the McDowell Foundation has created a Legacy for Learning Society. The Society recognizes teachers and other community partners who are helping to ensure that the next generation of teachers can access research funding that is teacher-centred and relevant to successful instruction in today’s classrooms. By including the McDowell Foundation in your estate plans, your name will be added to the roster of LLS members; you can also donate anonymously. Those joining the LLS now are recognized as founding members and will receive a donor lapel pin and other benefits. For more information, visit the donation section on the McDowell Foundation website, www.mcdowellfoundation.ca.

Teacher Krista McMillen (left) shares her research around the importance of diversity and inclusion for students living with exceptionalities.

Grants:

Since 1991, the McDowell Foundation has provided grants for up to approximately 300 research projects involving thousands of Saskatchewan teachers.

$20,000is the maximum amount that can be awarded annually, which funds anywhere from four to seven grants.


Re-Imagining EducationThe communications, governance and research units often collaborate to provide accurate, evidence-based information about teachers and the profession. This year, a lot of heart and soul went into the Re-Imagine Education initiative. We wanted to connect with Saskatchewan residents to listen and learn what changes they would like to see within their public education system. To do this properly, we knew we needed help extending our reach to ensure this would not be an insular, Federation-driven process. The result was the Re-Imagine Education initiative.

A Reference Committee made up of representatives from organizations with a special interest in education was created to shape and guide this work. The Committee was responsible for validating the research and helping to coordinate community engagement events. We are grateful for the role they played inviting many others into the conversation so that all Saskatchewan residents had an opportunity to participate and be heard.

Public, Member and StakeholderEngagement


Public, Member and StakeholderEngagement

Re-Imagine Education has been a massive undertaking. It involved Federation staff: leadership teams working with members to engage their local communities; communications, design and production assisting with promotion and engagement; and research compiling the final report.

We heard many diverse perspectives. The response was overwhelming! Make no mistake, Saskatchewan cares about public education.

Now that the engagement phase is complete and the data has been reviewed, we are preparing a final report. Watch for the release of the report later this fall.

Tell Him TuesdayWhen Saskatchewan’s Minister of Education, the Honourable Gord Wyant, said he wanted teachers to help “set a course for the sector’s future,” we took him up on his offer. On March 5, 2019, members were encouraged to take part in Tell Him Tuesday by taking 10 minutes to send Minister Wyant an email about their day-to-day realities and solutions that might help. Many of you stepped up to the challenge and responded. Many of you also expressed disappointment in receiving a generic template response from the Minister to your heartfelt stories.

>6,000participants responded to the public survey.

20+resources were created to assist with facilitating workshops throughout the province.

29,710visits to the website were recorded from July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019.

250,000is the reach of our Facebook ads, with more than five million impressions.

1,644are the total number of ads created for digital, social media, billboards, radio and cinema.

19Reference Committee members helped guide this process.

More than 200 engagement conversations like this were hosted in more than 100 Saskatchewan communities.


Teachers Supporting Communities Teachers invest a lot of time building and nurturing relationships within their local communities to enrich the learning experience for students. The Federation is equally committed to developing strong partnerships in the communities where teachers live and work. We regularly seek out sponsorship opportunities with a specific focus on children and educators. We believe that community visibility and being a good neighbour raises public awareness and support for the work that teachers do. This past year, we were fortunate to sponsor initiatives that support publicly funded public education.

Students Care About Public Education

Two student events supported this past year include the Saskatchewan Student Leadership Summit in Langenburg and the Saskatchewan Gay-Straight Alliance Summit in Regina. We used these opportunities to ask students what classroom and school improvements they would like to see. We heard about the importance of having timely access to appropriate mental health supports and the need to feel safe. We heard from students concerned about lack of access to specific resources and technology. Interestingly, many students were worried about their peers. They were concerned that taking up valuable teacher time could negatively affect the learning of others who need more direct, hands-on support. It was truly impressive to see how many students understand that while equality means treating everyone the same, equity is about ensuring everyone gets what they need.

Nutrien Children’s Festival

The Federation proudly sponsored the Nutrien Children’s Festival sensory hedge maze, June 1 to 4, 2019 at Rotary Park in Saskatoon for a third year. The maze had interactive stations that engaged the five senses, which supported this year’s theme, The Senses.

World Teachers’ Day and Education Week

Teachers choose this profession to make a difference and to prepare students to become full participants in Saskatchewan’s economic, cultural and intellectual life. Since 1994, October 5 has been globally recognized by UNESCO and Education International as World Teachers’ Day – a day for celebrating the teaching profession. The WTD theme this year was Teachers, The Heartbeat of Public Education. Education Week followed from October 14 to 20, 2018. Education Week’s theme was A World of Learning for Every Student. Federation President Patrick Maze leveraged these days to advocate for teachers, educating the media and public about challenges teachers and students are currently experiencing, and the toll those challenges are taking on teacher well-being. 3,700

pairs of sunglasses were handed out to children by volunteers.

>8,000 children, parents and teachers were engaged by 14 volunteers from the Federation.

Students Carter Vosper (left) and Karlee Andres hosted the 2018 Saskatchewan Student Leadership Conference in Langenburg, and shared their thoughts on education improvements they’d like to see.


@saskteachersfed

[email protected]

Log in to the MySTF section at www.stf.sk.ca

Are You in the Loop?Communications is responsible for keeping members up to date on the latest education news, upcoming initiatives, and program and service offerings like upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. You can read teacher stories in the Saskatchewan Bulletin or the e-Bulletin, its online companion. Visit MySTF to access personalized resources like the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan Pension Estimator, Members’ Health Plan information or to participate in TeacherTalk discussion forums. Follow us on social media to see news releases and live updates about local events and school activities.

While Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms globally, its use has been in a steady decline over the past two years, as is reflected in the average daily engaged users. Despite this, the Federation continues to grow our audience on this platform, as we work to share quality content that matters most to our members. Despite the general decline in the number of Facebook and Twitter impressions, our engagement rates are up.

FACEBOOK 2017-18 2018-19

Total Likes 3122 3656

Total Follows 3406 3963

Total Organic Impressions * Total number of times a post was seen

without any financial backing.

2,343,276 1,403,516

Average Daily Engaged Users * Average number of people who engage with

our page on a daily basis.

396 280

TWITTER 2017-18 2018-19

Followers 4769 5219

Impressions 1,679,452 662,033

Engagements 37,455 17,106

Engagement Rate 2.23% 2.58%

YOUTUBEWatch Time• 2017-18 = 50,181 min• 2018-19 = 13,153 min*

Views• 2017-18 = 22,988 • 2018-19 = 7,712*• Average YouTube watch time: 0:34• Most popular YouTube video: STRP Understanding Your Pension Plan

* Views and watch time down due to type of campaign.

Most commonly used hashtags at the Federation:

#skteach: used on all of our original content

#SaskEd: more general content about Saskatchewan education

#SaskBulletin: used for Saskatchewan Bulletin stories

#STFCareers: included in all tweets sharing job postings


Transforming People and Systems Through ResearchThe research unit supports our advocacy efforts by helping the Federation respond to provincial issues, such as the Education Sector Strategic Plan, the Auditor’s report and Child Advocate’s report. We provide monthly submissions to the Saskatchewan Bulletin on instructional leadership. We prepared the 2017-18 in Review: Teachers Speak Up For Education document, we support the senior administrative staff and collective bargaining teams, Council, and the Federation's advocacy efforts for teacher wellness and other professional issues. We actively monitor legislative changes and relevant case law to ensure the Federation’s position is always knowledgeable, accurate and evidence-based. And we coordinate the member and public surveys to gain a better understanding of teachers’ professional experiences and beliefs to support the Federation’s advocacy efforts. Central Records and research work in partnership to protect and preserve historical documents and knowledge. Central Records also archives and consolidates all teacher files.

2019 Member Survey Professional Experience: (May 2019 – Administered by Praxis Analytics, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation)

• Almost 50 percent of respondents (48 percent) indicated they were currently teaching in a class of 26 or more students.

– Half of respondents (51 percent) indicated their largest class taught increased in size over the last two years.

• Almost 40 percent of respondents (39 percent) taught most often in a multi-grade classroom.

– One fifth of those (21 percent) taught three or more grades at one time.

– Over half of respondents who were beginning teachers (52 percent) and/or who were middle years teachers (56 percent) taught in a multi-grade classroom.

• Nearly all respondents (96 percent) indicated demands on the teaching profession have increased in the last five years (as compared to 94 percent in 2017).

• A negative trend was clearly observable in three key areas between 2015 and 2019:

– Accessibility of specialized professional supports – Accessibility of behavioural supports – Adequacy of supports for language skill development

• Over half of respondents (53 percent) spent more than $250 of their own money to support their teaching and nearly all (95 percent) spent some out-of-pocket money.

Did you know? • The Federation's oldest

document is from the 1920s.

• Vital records are stored in a vault, with up to 1,740 boxes of records stored off-site.

• More than 94,000 records have been filed in our records management system to date.


A Welcoming Space for MembersMembers will soon have a modern, welcoming space for collaboration, research and professional development when renovations to the 2311 Arlington Avenue building are completed in fall of 2019. The new member-focused space is located north of the Federation’s head office in Saskatoon. We officially took possession of the building on July 1, 2018 and have been working on design plans and construction. The following units will move over to the new building in December of 2019:

• Stewart Resources Centre, which supports teacher classroom, research and professional development,

• Pathways to Learning, which assists teachers in evaluating and accessing Ministry-approved curriculum resources, and

• SPDU, which provides continuous learning opportunities and professional development to teachers.

A grand opening and tours will follow later in 2020.

Teacher Success


Key features within the new 2311 Arlington Avenue building:

Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation

• SRC has a collection of more than 30,000 books and articles, a variety of seating options for patrons, a circulation desk, two SRC offices and workstations

• Three private hoteling/two-person meeting rooms

• Three meeting rooms: small (six person), medium (12 person) and large (30 person)

• Fireplace with mounted video screen and lower seating area with lots of natural light

• Bookshelves and front-end seating, which can be converted into a reception area for hosting events

• High-density storage for library resources

• Two offices and storage for Pathways to Learning

• SPDU offices (11), with a dedicated work room to assemble workshop kits and materials

• Book and mail drop

• IT server room

Stewart Resources Centre

The SRC is named after Emma Stewart, who was the Assistant General Secretary of the Federation from 1942 to 1962.

1,877new items were added to the collection.

4,773research articles were borrowed.

24,645 books and audiovisual resources were borrowed.

1,971 resources were mailed out, with Uranium City being the furthest location requests were made from.

A rendering of renovations to the Stewart Resources Centre highlights some of the new features members can expect, such as comfortable seating, a fireplace and lots of natural light.

TCU Financial Group

TCU Financial Group is converting to a kiosk within the new building including:

• Two ATMs

• A night drop box

• Member services desk

• Two offices and an office/meeting room


• Ended the school year with a total of 108 evaluators.

• More than 10,613 records were updated, with 917 going live on the curriculum site.

• The number of resources in the evaluation process is estimated to be over 5,000.

• 188 videos were added to ROVER, bringing the total number of live videos available to 1,391.

Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan

• Reception desk and waiting area

• Three offices and storage

Saskatoon Teachers’ Association

• Two offices and storage

Shared space and other features

• Kitchen and serving station

• Print and photocopy centre

• Three accessible all-gender washrooms and two non-accessible all-gender washrooms

• Enhanced security system with video monitoring technology

• Green-friendly elements include high-efficiency boilers, LED lighting and ventilation to accommodate smudging ceremonies in the conference room

• Parking

Renovations to the Federation’s Head OfficeIn addition, we are working on designs for renovations to the second floor of the Federation’s Saskatoon office, located at 2317 Arlington Avenue. Construction will begin once Federation staff have relocated to their new homes next door.

Key features of the 2317 Arlington Avenue building second floor renovations:

• 35 workstations

• Three meeting rooms

• Three accessible all-gender washrooms

• Enhanced IT server room, workroom and storage

• Multi-use Executive boardroom

• Hoteling workstations

• Video production room


Muskrats and Fire Children’s Book PublishedCongratulations to Cumberland House teacher Renée Carrière and the Charlebois Community School students for publishing a children’s book on land-based learning. Muskrats and Fire is the culmination of two years of work that originally began as a McDowell Foundation-funded research project entitled The Muskrat/Wuchusk Project. The book provides a personal account of the students’ journey to discover “Where have all the muskrats gone?” and what, if anything, might bring them back. As a result, Carrière went on to develop a local wildland firefighting course, Iskotew 10/20, for Grade 10 to 12 students interested in learning how to respond to community emergencies or in pursuing a career in firefighting. The course is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the Northern Lights School Division. The Muskrat/Wuchusk Project research is also now being shared with the federal government. Thank you to the SPDU for transforming the book into a functional K-12 curriculum resource. Visit www.mcdowellfoundation.ca to access your copy.

Arbos Award WinnersThe Arbos awards are the highest honour the Saskatchewan teaching profession can bestow. Being peer-nominated awards makes them all the more special. At this year’s Annual Meeting of Council, the following individuals were acknowledged for their commitment, passion and achievements.

Jason Almond (Vice-Principal, Holy Cross School, Lloydminster) Arbos for Contributions to Education and the Teaching Profession

Jason’s been a member of the Federation since 1992 as a teacher, school administrator, athletic director and community volunteer. He is well-known for his desire and dedication to help others.

• Developed the Athletic Director’s Handbook at Holy Rosary High School in Lloydminster, as well as the Math 11 and 21 individual study programs to assist students unable to attend high school full time.

• Co-designed the division graduation review plan spanning the 2007-17 strategic review.

• College facilitator for University of Saskatchewan teacher candidate interns during their extended practicums at Lloydminster Catholic School Division.

• Official voice of the Raiders with countless hours announcing school football, basketball and volleyball games, as well as acting as a hockey official within North East Zone.

• Every provincial school in Saskatchewan has received a copy.

190 copies have been purchased.

184 is the number of times the book has been viewed on the McDowell Foundation website.

Renée Carrière (right) and her daughter, Michela, are proud of the children’s book on land-based education that they and Cumberland House students recently had published.


Jerry Orban Arbos for Distinguished Support of Education and the Teaching Profession

Jerry’s award was provided posthumously, after he passed away earlier this year at the age of 68. His wife Cindy and daughter Ali attended the annual Arbos banquet to accept the award on his behalf.

• Dedicated 45 years as an educator, football player and later coach of the Regina Rams junior and university football programs, who were a second family to him.

• Spent 15 years as the Faculty of Education field placement manager at the University of Regina prior to retiring in September 2018.

• Participated in eight national championships during his time with the Rams.

• Instilled in his players the importance of teamwork, integrity and being a man of character; many players have since gone on to become teachers, coaches and community leaders.

Murray Wall Arbos for Contributions to the Professional Organization

Murray has witnessed a number of perspectives in his roles as President of the Federation, member of the senior administrative staff, lead for the Collective Bargaining Unit, local association president, professional development chair, LINC chair, and liaison committee member and as a senior math and science teacher.

• Joined the Federation as President in 2003 and was known for his purposeful, analytical leadership style.

• Participated as a member of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Board of Directors and International Trust Fund.

• Visited schools and teachers provincially and internationally, including India, Ghana and Brazil, adding that these are some of his greatest memories.

• Retired recently and is now looking forward to spending time with family enjoying his favourite pastimes, which include playing board games and indulging his passion for cooking.

• The first Arbos awards were presented in 2000 to Eileen Hartman (Arbos for Contributions to Education and the Teaching Profession) and F. Mike Badham (Arbos for Contributions to the Professional Organization).

• To date, a total of 49 teachers have been honoured with an Arbos award.

The annual Arbos awards banquet provides an opportunity for members to highlight and honour colleagues who have dedicated their lives to advancing the teaching profession.


Special Project Grants AwardedSpecial project grants are intended to benefit as many professional growth networks and Federation members as possible. At least $10,000 is budgeted annually for special project grants. To ensure consistent decision making, criteria such as innovation, collaboration and member engagement is used to assess the merits of each grant application. Special project grants are intended to support the following activities:

• Joint Professional Growth

• Research Project

• New Initiative

• Voluntary Amalgamation

The STF Executive, upon the recommendation of the Professional Growth Networks Advisory Committee, approved two special project grants this year. Congratulations to the Saskatchewan School Library Association and SaskOutdoors.

Some PGN Bright Spots

• Literacy Educators’ Network of Saskatchewan’s Read to Me project promotes family reading at home with books, bookmarks and brochures and has reached over 1,000 families.

• Saskatchewan Council for Exceptional Children hosted the Yes I Can awards and ceremony, which celebrates students aged 10 to 18 with exceptional needs.

• Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association hosted Pop Up Nature play days in Saskatoon and Regina, led a hike for newcomer women with the Global Gathering Place, held a Wilderness First Aid course and a Canoe Certification course and awarded $7,870 to 16 different groups to support environmental education.

• Saskatchewan School Library Association developed a First Nations, Métis and Inuit resource list to support Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, treaty education and curriculum (K - 9 multi-media resources by grade).

• Saskatchewan UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network joined students and teachers from Saskatchewan UNESCO schools and participated in a national conference at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.


International Opportunities Congratulations to Saskatchewan teachers Randeen Durette, Lynda Gellner, Stephanie Ochitwa and Aubrey Swift, who were chosen as volunteers to participate in Professional Development Program India and to Tennille Fishley, chosen as the teacher volunteer for Project Overseas. Both programs provide Canadian teachers with the opportunity to share their skills and provide professional development and mentorship to teacher organizations in India and developing countries in Africa and the Caribbean. In addition, Saskatchewan teachers are enriched by the relationships built and by learning more about the day-to-day experiences and challenges of teachers globally.

Teachers gain valuable knowledge and experience when they volunteer to assist other teachers through Project Overseas and Professional Development Program India.


Investing for the Future

For the third consecutive year, our membership fees remain amongst the lowest in Western Canada. We keep costs down through a cost-sharing model, which sees us sharing support services across the Federation.

Our investment services team is committed to protecting members’ assets while also maximizing our growth potential. Part of the strategic long-term asset mix for the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan includes an allocation to real estate. This allocation is achieved through a variety of investment strategies and mandates, including the most recent purchase of the 2311 Arlington Avenue building. This acquisition was not only the best option to deal with future growth of the Federation but also provides a steady, low-risk stream of income for the pension plan through tenant lease payments.

Teacher Well-Being

STF President Patrick Maze and Executive Director Randy Schmaltz are joined by Federation staff and construction partners April 5, 2019 at a groundbreaking ceremony for the 2311 Arlington Avenue building.


Your Health Benefits Members will notice a number of enhancements to their Members’ Health Plan benefits, including:

An increase in lifetime benefit maximum fertility drugs to $15,000.

Continuous glucose monitoring systems are now covered for eligible members.

An increase in coverage for psychologist and social workers services to $2,500 per year with 90 percent reimbursement.

The temporary elimination of the $5 deductible for prescriptions.

Changes to the STRP Pension PlanThe STRP continues to strive towards providing meaningful retirement benefits for its members at a reasonable cost. To this end, the following changes were made to the Plan, effective July 1, 2018:

• A decrease in member contribution rates on average from 12 percent to 10.4 percent of salary. For example, a teacher earning $85,000 per year will see savings of approximately $1,530 per year (i.e., $127 per month) in pension contributions. Note: this has no impact on the benefits members will receive.

• Annual interest rate credited to member-required contributions to better align with industry best practice.

Teachers’ Long-Term Disability PlanNew Name, Lower Premiums, Better Benefits

The long-term disability plan celebrated its 40-year anniversary. The Plan was originally created October 1, 1978 to support the financial, emotional and physical effects teachers can experience as a result of living with a disability. The Plan currently provides teachers up to 72 percent of their net salary and access to rehabilitative services.

The Plan has undergone a comprehensive review, resulting in the following changes, effective July 1, 2019:

• The Income Continuance Plan name has changed and is now called the Teachers’ Long-Term Disability Plan.

• Reductions in the premium rate from 1.40 percent to: 0.50 percent – July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 0.75 percent – July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 1.00 percent – From July 1, 2021

• The 35-year service cap has been removed. This means eligible members will have disability insurance coverage until age 65, or when they start receiving a pension, whichever occurs first.

• Greater inflation protection through enhanced annual cost-of-living adjustments to disability benefits.

On average, each member will save about $1,500 over the next three years.

Portaplan Protection for You and Your FamilyWhether you’re just starting your career, expanding your family, buying a new home or preparing for retirement, Portaplan can help provide financial protection for your loved ones and peace of mind. To ensure the long-term sustainability of Portaplan for all current and future members, changes were made to the Age 90 and Over Term Life Insurance coverage effective July 1, 2019. Policyholders who were under age 85 as of July 1, 2019, were given the option to either keep the Age 90 and Over Term Life Insurance at higher premium rates or opt out of that coverage. Existing policyholders who were age 85 and older as of July 1, 2019 were not affected by these changes. Note that for those purchasing Portaplan term life insurance for the first time on or after November 1, 2017, coverage is only available for renewal up to age 90.

Enhanced Mental Health Support Requests for mental health supports continue to rise. The current model is unsustainable, inequitable and is not adequately meeting the needs of members. Federation Bylaw 13 (Member and Family Assistance Plan) was approved at the Annual Meeting of Council

to formally establish a provincewide MFAP. The Plan will provide voluntary, short-term counselling

services for teachers and their families, funded through premiums received for the Members’ Health

Plan. MFAP goes live in fall of 2019.

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Advocacy and StewardshipThe Federation’s governance policies, processes and structures reflect the public’s high expectations of teachers and the teaching profession. Transparency, integrity, accountability and sustainability are all foundational principles within the Governance Handbook, which contains the constitution and policies that guide the work the Federation does on behalf of Saskatchewan teachers. Policy 1.1 (Advocacy) is defined within that document as “an intentional process of promoting the Saskatchewan teaching profession’s beliefs....” Advocacy is about ensuring that the public and other educational partners have access to perspectives, options and views from a multitude of stakeholders before changes are made to the existing educational governance structure. We advocate for the teacher perspective to be part of those conversations.

Collective BargainingWe opened a new round of provincial collective bargaining on May 22, 2019. The current agreement expired August 31, 2019. This round we’re trying something a bit different. We’re going to tell you what’s happening in a way that is as timely and transparent as possible. Normally both sides in negotiations agree to a media and membership blackout; however, your Teacher’s Bargaining Committee believes that only produces an advantage for the government. Therefore, the Committee has committed to providing timely

reports following each session. These reports can be found on the Collective Bargaining page of the Federation website at www.stf.sk.ca. We’ll also be providing members with brief updates via email.

In our pre-bargaining survey, you told us what you felt were the important issues in your professional lives. Teachers clearly identified their priorities as:

• Class Size/Class Composition – These two components that directly impact teaching and learning conditions need to be addressed and teachers are seeking to create a methodology or process to ensure the complexity of the classroom is understood and appropriate resources are provided.

• Compensation – Teachers are seeking salary increases of two, three and three percent over three years, which are reasonable requests that allow teachers to maintain their current spending power. The same increases to the allowances for principals, vice-principals and assistant principals are also being sought, as well as a restructured grid to support teachers new to the profession in reaching the maximum salary earlier in their careers.

The treatment of substitute teachers has been a long-standing issue of concern. Federation members believe substitute teachers should get a contract of employment. This would grant them greater access to Federation supports and programs.

Governance


Arbitration Wins From The Last RoundThe previous round of provincial collective bargaining was challenging. For the first time in its history, the Federation took the following actions:

• Filed an order of mandamus that forced the government to comply with its own legislation and appoint individuals to fill positions on the Educational Relations Board that would be operational as negotiations progressed.

• Informed the Educational Relations Board that an impasse had been reached and it was necessary to move to binding arbitration for the first time in Federation provincial bargaining history.

After four days of binding arbitration hearings in July 2018, the arbitration board released its report on September 7, 2018. The report demonstrates that the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee was successful in securing additional protections and enhancements for Saskatchewan teachers in the following areas:

Teacher Time

After several years of experiencing open-ended and variable hours of assigned time, a maximum of 1,044 hours of assigned teacher time is now specified in the Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement. The arbitration board embedded the recommendations of the Task Force on Teacher Time: Final Report – January 2016 into the agreement.

Salary

Despite the demand of the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee for a 3.67 percent salary reduction, the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee was successful in ensuring no wage rollback occurred. The two-year agreement provided a zero percent increase in the first year and a one percent increase at the end of the second year.

SPTRB Fees

Teachers employed by school divisions are not required to pay annual registration fees to the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board. According to Clause 2.12.1 of the 2017-2019 Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement, any and all fees required as a condition of employment for the annual registration of all certificated teachers with the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board shall be paid in full on behalf of the teacher by the employer.

This year, the Federation has promised greater transparency around collective bargaining and will be posting regular updates online.


Expanded Grievance Powers

Teachers are better-protected through the ability to file a grievance alleging a violation of the terms and conditions of employment or discretionary decisions made arbitrarily or in bad faith by a school board.

Teacher Professionalism Supporting the Principalship

A Principal and Vice-Principal Advisory Committee of the STF Executive was established in the fall of 2018. The purpose of this Committee is to address the challenges of balancing the instructional leadership and management roles of principals and vice-principals. Additionally, the Committee has been consulting with the following sector partners:

• League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents of Saskatchewan,

• Saskatchewan School Boards Association,

• Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials,

• Ministry of Education,

• Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit, and

• Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit.

The Advisory Committee continues working to support principals and vice-principals through:

• Professional growth opportunities,

• Effective communication, and

• Representation in collective bargaining, Council, and other Federation activities.

Social Justice, Inclusion and Equity

The Indigenous Resources Review Working Committee has reviewed approximately 100 resources connected to specific outcomes within the K-12 curriculum. The resource list will be available in fall of 2019.

Treaties and the Law, a partnership document of the Federation, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan, was mailed to every Federation member in May of 2019.

Pre-Service and First Five Years Programming

Following receipt of recommendations from the 2017-18 New Teacher Supports Program and Service Renewal Committee, an internal committee is analyzing existing programs and services within the Federation. This environmental scan is also being expanded to school divisions across the province. This will help determine ways that we can collaborate and work together on existing programs. Phase I, the environmental scan, was completed this spring. Phase II begins this fall and will include a comprehensive review of publications, programs and services.

STF President Patrick Maze participated in many conversations with teachers throughout the province to learn about their individual and collective concerns.

10 members of the STF Executive manage and regulate the Federation’s activities.

• The STF Executive approved four new policies, one new terms of reference and five governance framework documents, as well as revisions to 13 Executive policies, eight terms of reference and three Roles and Responsibilities documents.

• Day-to-day operations are led by an Executive Director and Associate Executive Director, with support from 12 senior administrative staff, 10 of whom are field staff.

189,730 kms spent travelling in the field to support members directly in their home communities.


Feedback to Ministry of Education

The Federation has provided feedback on a number of Ministry policies and documents over the course of 2018-19, including Instructional Supports for Diverse Writers; Education Sector Strategic Plan; Model Administrative Procedure for Boards of Education on Child Abuse Prevention Education and Response; and Supporting All Learners modules.

Teacher Participation in Education Sector Work

Federation members were involved in provincial committees for curriculum renewal in physical education, practical and applied arts, arts education and social studies. Additionally, teachers have served on Ministry committees regarding math supports, assessment and evaluation, accreditation, Leading to Learn and Following Their Voices.

Professional Growth Networks

The Professional Growth Networks Advisory Committee has consulted with the PGNs to explore ways to renew the structure and supports provided. More information will be available this fall.

Council HighlightsAnnual Meeting of Council (May 1-4, 2019)

At this year’s Annual Meeting of Council, Patrick Maze was re-elected to his fifth term as STF President. Samantha Becotte was acclaimed as the Vice-President. The following Executive members were also elected:

NAME POSITION TERM LOCAL ASSOCIATION

Patrick Maze President Two years Regina Public

Samantha Becotte Vice-President Two years Lloydminster

Nathan Bromm Executive Member Two years South East Cornerstone

Ben Goby Executive Member Two years Regina Public

Nadine Jennison Executive Member Two years Horizon

Karen Kennedy-Allin Executive Member Two years South East Cornerstone

The following Executive members were elected in 2018, with terms expiring on June 30, 2020: Neal Boutin (Chinook), Micheal Hagel (Tri-West), Vincent Mamer (Saskatoon) and Debbie Ward (Regina Catholic).

Councillor Conference (October 25-27, 2018)

Kevin Lamoureux, the Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, was this year’s keynote speaker. He spoke about Reconciliation in Education: Teaching for Pimatisiwin (the good life) and the gift provided to Canadians by residential school survivors. He shared some ideas around what Reconciliation can look like in the classroom. He also encouraged teachers to take a leadership role in helping to fulfil the 94 Calls to Action identified by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; 72 of the total Calls to Action specifically focus on education and awareness.

231 councillors

773 school staff liaisons

938 people attended the School Staff Liaison Forums (October 2018 = 500; March 2019 = 438)

During his keynote address, Kevin Lamoureux, left, shared that schools have not traditionally been safe spaces for Indigenous students, but adds that teachers now have an opportunity to change that legacy.


Bylaw 3 Changes

At a Special Meeting of Council held October 27, 2018, members voted to amend Bylaw 3 (Executive) and approved the following changes:

• Increasing President and Vice-President terms to two years,

• Eliminating the position of Past-President,

• Developing a provision for filling mid-term vacancies and the assumption of duties, and

• Developing a provision to address removal from office.

As a result of these changes, amendments were also made to the Roles and Responsibilities documents for the President, Vice-President and STF Executive members.

A Phone Call AwayEvery month, the Federation receives thousands of calls from members seeking information on everything from general membership advice to retirement planning. Call the Federation at 1-800-667-7762 or find us online at www.stf.sk.ca.

Number of Member Calls per Month

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123 events were attended by Executive and Federation staff, with 145 requests for greetings and presentations in total.

STF 101 was the Federation’s most requested presentation.

65,828 is the total number of emails received by the Federation in one year.

25Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation 2018/19 AT A GLANCE

Now that we’ve taken a look at the Federation’s activity over the past year, it would be difficult to ascertain what milestone is most prominent over the other. What is clear is that Federation staff went to great lengths to listen to members, learn from past experiences and lead by example.

We listened through the Re-Imagine Education initiative. Members, students and the public engaged in the initiative and offered the Federation great information that we can use to advance members’ interests in the year ahead. We are excited to see where this information will take us.

We learned from past experiences and looked at ways we can do things better. We looked for ways to improve our efforts in partnerships. In a conversation this past year with one teacher, the following question arose, “What’s the first thing you do when you move to a new city or country?” Her answer? “You explore and get to know that community. You build relationships.”

We recognize that building relationships with our communities and stakeholders is a worthy investment of time that will eventually pay huge dividends for students. If schools truly are the heart of the community, the Federation will take a leadership role in continuing to help students understand that connection and why it’s so important.

We led this past year by changing the way we do things. These changes will only enhance member benefits and improve our service to teachers across this province. We advocated and will continue to advocate for the provincial government to add more sustainable funding to the education budget in the coming years. This will ensure we’re prepared to address the issues of larger classes, fewer teachers and other changes our members are seeing every year.

We led by supporting inclusiveness in the profession and the classroom, partnered with key stakeholders to address the unique needs of specific populations and interest groups, and showed our support for causes that truly reflect the professionalism and diversity of the teaching profession.

It has been a challenging year that has prompted us to depart from the status quo. We’ve been strategically ramping up transparency around the work teachers do, which we plan to continue to do moving forward. It’s time to pull back the education curtain to give our communities an honest look at the day-to-day realities teachers and students are experiencing. Why? Because we genuinely believe we’re stronger together.

Conclusion

Saskatoon – Head Office2317 Arlington AvenueSaskatoon SK S7J 2H8T: 306-373-1660 or 1-800-667-7762 F: [email protected]

Regina – Appointments OnlySuite 375-3303 Hillsdale StreetRegina SK S4S 6W9

www.stf.sk.ca @SaskTeachersFed

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at a glance - saskatchewan teachers' federation · 2019-08-30 · saskatchewan teachers’...

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